Artists' Most Iconic Album

[Deleted]

I don't know if this thread exists (I didn't see it). If it does can shut it down. But, I thought, here we could list what we believe to be the most iconic albums for different artists, whoever you choose to highlight.

On Spotify, I was listening to a couple albums and thought that they must be the most iconic for each artist.

Dolly Parton- Coat of Many Colors
Tammy Wynette- Stand By Your Man
Loretta Lynn- Coal Miner's Daughter

What do you guys think?

[zack97]

Gary Allan - "Tough All Over"
Willie Nelson - "Red Headed Stranger"

[onebuffalo]

Always & Forever
No Fences
Whoever's In New England
Ocean Front Property
Come On Over

Just five off the top of my head.

[someguy]

I would pick For My Broken Heart over Whoever's In New England (though Read My Mind is my favourite).

[mamooshka]

'Hero' (Maren)

[countrymusicjunkie]

Tim McGraw-Everywhere
Eric Church-Chief

[BackwoodsBarbie]

Dolly Parton

Coat Of Many Colors is certainly her most iconic album - it shows her outstanding writting abilities and it has that typical early Dolly Parton sound with songs telling stories about her childhood (Coat Of Many Colors, Early Morning Breeze) and about struggles and joys of life (If I Lose My Mind, She Never Met A Man, The Way I See You). On top of that it's the album that helped her became recognized as a solo singer not just as a Porter Wagoner side act. This album is also on 301 place of 500 best albums of all time (Rolling Stone magazin).

I will mention two more albums of hers that are not iconic as Coat Of Many Colors is but are career defining in a way.

Here You Come Again - in late 70s Dolly tried to crossover to pop music and after failed attempt with New Harvest...First Gathering (great album btw ) Here You Come Again became big success for her. She won grammy award for title single, which also scored #3 on the US pop singles charts. Other singles from this album are It's All Wrong, But It's All Right and Two Doors Down.

The Grass Is Blue - This bluegrass album is one of the most critically acclaimed albums of Dolly's caree. She won a 2001 Grammy award for Best bluegrass album. With this album Dolly returned back to her roots. Standout tracks from this album are The Grass Is Blue, A Few Old Memories, Will He Be Waiting for Me, Silver Dagger

[Uncle Lumpy]

Vince Gill - When I Call Your Name
George Jones - I Am What I Am
Keith Whitley - Don't Close Your Eyes
George Strait - Ocean Front Property
Travis Tritt - Its All About To Change
Tanya Tucker - TNT
Tim McGraw - Live Like You Are Dying
Randy Travis - Storms Of Life
Hank Williams Jr - The Pressure Is On
Clint Black - Killin Time
Garth Brooks - No Fences
Eric Church - Chief
Alan Jackson Don't Rock The Jukebox
Dwight Yoakam - Guitars Cadillacs etc etc
Lee Ann Womack - Theres More Where That Came From
Merle Haggard - Mama Tried
Brad Paisley - Mud On The Tires
The Dixie Chicks - Fly

[zjames]

Sept 5, 2017 22:26:06 GMT -5 mamooshka said:

'Hero' (Maren)

Well, it kinda has to be her most iconic album...

[Deleted]

Sept 6, 2017 18:10:30 GMT -5 zjames said:

Sept 5, 2017 22:26:06 GMT -5 mamooshka said:

'Hero' (Maren)

Well, it kinda has to be her most iconic album...

I thought the same, but didn't want to sound like a smartass for saying it, lol. (Not that you did sound like one, I thought of a smartass comment).

[phil1996]

Jake Owen - Barefoot Blue Jean Night

That was his "Chief". The album that gave him a golden road to stardom. And then he and the label totally screwed it up.

Had they have gone....

Summer Jam
Beachin
Ghost Town
What We Ain't Got
American Country Love Song
You Ain't Going Nowhere
Everybody Dies Young

......after the Barefoot era, Jake would be in Luke Bryan level territory with his career. Potentially the best seller in country music.

[castleoblivion26]

Martina's is Evolution

for Vince Gill while I agree that "When I Call Your Name" is probably his signature song; I Still Believe In You was his biggest era and overall did more for him than any other album I think.

[Andy]

Alabama - Mountain Music
Big & Rich - Horse of a Different Color
Billy Joe Shaver - Old Five and Dimers Like Me
Bobby Bare - Sings Lullabys, Legends and Lies
Brad Paisley - Mud on the Tires
Brooks and Dunn - Brand New Man
Buck Owens and the Buckaroos - Tiger by the Tail
Charlie Robison - Life of the Party
Collin Raye - I Think About You
David Allan Coe - Once Upon a Rhyme
Gary Stewart - Out of Hand
Gillian Welch - Time (The Revelator)
Guy Clark - Ol' No. 1
Hank Williams III - Straight to Hell
Jason Isbell - Southeastern
Joe Ely - Honky Tonk Masquerade
John Hartford - Aereo-Plain
John Prine - John Prine
Johnny Cash - With His Hot and Blue Guitar
Kris Kristofferson - Kristofferson
Lucinda Williams - Car Wheels on a Gravel Road
Lyle Lovett - Pontiac
Mary Chapin Carpenter - Come On Come On
Nanci Griffith - The Last of the True Believers
The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Will the Circle Be Unbroken
Radney Foster - Del Rio TX, 1959
Rodney Crowell - Diamonds and Dirt
Steve Earle - Guitar Town
Tom T. Hall - In Search of a Song
Townes Van Zandt - The Late Great Townes Van Zandt
Vern Gosdin - Chiseled in Stone
Waylon Jennings - Dreaming My Dreams

[jlatn5b]

Sept 5, 2017 17:37:01 GMT -5 onebuffalo said:

Always & Forever
No Fences
Whoever's In New England
Ocean Front Property
Come On Over

Just five off the top of my head.

I agree with 2 of these... No Fences for Garth and Come on Over for Shania.

George is a tough one... he's had so many hits on so many albums. If I had to pick one, I'd probably go with the Pure Country soundtrack. If it were to be a regular studio album, I'd say Carrying Your Love With Me.

And I agree with someguy... For My Broken Heart is Reba's most iconic album.

For Randy, I'm torn between Always & Forever and Storms of Life... but I think I'd give the edge to Storms of Life.

[.indulgecountry]

For Sara Evans it's between Born to Fly and Real Fine Place. BTF is her most commercially successful, but I think a solid case can also be made for RFP as well.

some of my other fave artists:
Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts
Deana Carter - Did I Shave My Legs for This?
Faith Hill - Breathe
Jo Dee Messina - I'm Alright
Josh Turner - Your Man
Lee Ann Womack - There's More Where That Came From
Little Big Town - Tornado
Miranda Lambert - Revolution
Rascal Flatts - Me and My Gang
Trisha Yearwood - Trisha Yearwood

[phil1996]

Montgomery Gentry - You Do Your Thing

I don't think it was their best album, but definitely felt like the one that took them to the next level

[zack97]

Sept 16, 2017 7:19:12 GMT -5 phil1996 said:

Montgomery Gentry - You Do Your Thing

I don't think it was their best album, but definitely felt like the one that took them to the next level

I agree. I think you could make a case for "My Town" too given the popular title track and consistent chart success they had with that one (especially since before they seemed to have a couple hits and then have the followups not do so well).

[someguy]

My list for some of my favourites. Not necessarily my favourite albums by the artist (in fact, in most cases it isn't), but the ones that I feel are the most iconic to their careers.

Reba McEntire - For My Broken Heart
Martina McBride - Evolution
Shania Twain - Come On Over
Dixie Chicks - Taking The Long Way
Faith Hill - Breathe
Trisha Yearwood - Everybody Knows (in reality, I think it's Songbook, but greatest hits are tricky here)
Garth Brooks - No Fences
Tim McGraw - Everywhere
Kenny Chesney - When The Sun Goes Down
Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts
Miranda Lambert - Revolution
Sugarland - Love On The Inside

[Andy]

I realized I forgot to consider live albums in my last post. Taking them into account, I'd change Johnny Cash to At Folsom Prison and Townes Van Zandt to Live at the Old Quarter.

Thought of a couple more:

Mark Chesnutt - Longnecks and Short Stories
Marty Robbins - Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs

[gonecountry]

Eric Church Chief is the most iconic album of the last 10 years, IMO

[gardyfan]

Sept 20, 2017 22:23:38 GMT -5 gonecountry said:

Eric Church Chief is the most iconic album of the last 10 years, IMO

Somebody just won my award for best poster.

[er1c612]

Sept 7, 2017 6:41:10 GMT -5 phil1996 said:

Jake Owen - Barefoot Blue Jean Night

That was his "Chief". The album that gave him a golden road to stardom. And then he and the label totally screwed it up.

Had they have gone....

Summer Jam
Beachin
Ghost Town
What We Ain't Got
American Country Love Song
You Ain't Going Nowhere
Everybody Dies Young

......after the Barefoot era, Jake would be in Luke Bryan level territory with his career. Potentially the best seller in country music.

I have been saying this same thing for years. Jake's career has been terribly mismanaged by single choice.
Dierks Bentley - Riser
Like Bryan- Tailgates and Tanlines

[Kentucky25]

Sept 16, 2017 11:59:33 GMT -5 someguy said:

My list for some of my favourites. Not necessarily my favourite albums by the artist (in fact, in most cases it isn't), but the ones that I feel are the most iconic to their careers.

Kenny Chesney - When The Sun Goes Down

I would say this album or No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems.
It has some of his biggest hits yet balances the more traditional leaning early part of his career with songs like I Can't Go There, One Step Up, and The Good Stuff; the beach part of his career with Coast of Somewhere Beautiful, No Shoes...; and the mega star with Young, Big Star, and Live Those Songs.
I'd say it's a more complete picture of him as an artist, but it really is a toss up between the two because of a lot of this is shown in When the Sun Goes Down too.

[thy4568]